A Job to Rescue! Gajeel?
by Sabina of Fairy Tail
Summary: A sequel to Understanding My Heart! Gajeel has been kidnapped by a dark guild, and Levy and the rest of Fairy Tail have to rescue him! Why has this dark guild targeted the Iron Dragonslayer? Why is Levy connected to him in her dreams? GaLe with some NaLu and other pairings hinted! Lemons later on!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my dearies!**

**Welcome to the first sequel to Understanding My Heart! (If you haven't read it you are welcome to, but it's not necessary)**

**I asked you guys what you wanted to see, and GaLe got the most votes! **

**I'm super excited to write this story... I think the plot I came up with is going to be really fun and interesting. It's my hope that ya'll will enjoy it as much as UMH! **

**A LOT of this is going to be from Levy's POV, since it's going to be pretty necessary to the plot. I think that she's really fun to write so I'm looking forward to it!**

**I'm going to be working on this alongside my other fic, Trail Testing, so I don't know how often I will be posting yet. But I'll try my best to post regularly!**

**I'll let you guys get to reading!**

**Please leave a review or a suggestion, I absolutely love hearing your opinions!**

**Much love**

**Sabina**

* * *

Chapter 1

**Levy's POV**

_Well that was an interesting dream..._

Fairy Tail's solid script mage Levy McGarden rubbed her eyes sleepily as she sat up in bed. The bright morning sunlight was shining in through the tall window in her room, and it was this that had finally woken her. She yawned and stared down at her hands for a few minutes, contemplating the dream she had just had. Her cheeks flushed...

_Gajeel_...

She would never admit it out loud but she was very attracted to the tough iron dragonslayer. Even though they had been enemies and he had hurt her the first time they had met, she had slowly fallen for him after he had joined Fairy Tail. She could tell that he was truly remorseful for what he had done and that he wanted to be accepted by everyone... Every time she saw him sitting off by himself, she saw a deep sadness in his eyes... She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she knew that he would brush her off like he was fine...

Only in her dreams did Gajeel ever open up to her... At first the dreams had been simple and innocent, just the two of them spending time together and learning about each other... But as time went on they took a different turn...

Levy blushed again, a faint smile curling on her lips. Last night's dream had been particularly interesting... She was sure that the real Gajeel wouldn't have been so...affectionate... If only he would...

The blunette sighed and got out of bed, feeling that it was time she headed to the guild. She showered and dressed, humming a little to herself as she went about her business. When she was finally ready she headed out of her room and made her way downstairs to the Fairy Hills dorm lobby. It looked like she was one of the last ones to wake up that day, because she didn't see any of the other girls on her way out.

She streached happily in the sunlight as she made her way down the path that led from the girl's dorm to the Fairy Tail guildhall. It was a beautiful spring day, and she was glad that it was finally warming up. Levy didn't like the cold, and she had spent a lot of time snuggled in bed with a good book over the past winter months.

Levy smiled as she opened the front doors of the guild and stepped through. The guild was decorated with hundreds of flowers, and the aroma coming from them was lovely. The master had decided that they would be holding a Spring Festival in a few days, and the women of the guild had taken it upon themselves to decorate the guildhall accordingly. Levy smiled at the memory of the previous day. She and the other girls had banished the men from the hall while they worked, certain that they'd mess things up and wanting them gone so they could gossip.

"Levy! Good morning!" called her best friend, Lucy Heartfilia. Levy smiled and ran over to the celestial spirit mage, hugging her tightly.

"Lu! How are you this morning? I assume you had a good night?" said Levy slyly, winking her her friend. Lucy blushed and an embarrassed smile curled on her lips.

"It was very nice... Dinner was lovely..." she said, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear distractedly. Levy giggled and raised her eyebrows at her friend.

"I'm sure it was... What did you and Natsu do after dinner?" she asked, already knowing what the answer was. Her hunch was confirmed when Lucy's blush deepened and she nervously began rubbing her left thumb across her guildmark on the back of her right hand; more specifically, on the little golden dragon resting at the center of the pink mark. Levy smiled at her friend as she apologized for the teasing and they headed to the bar to get food from Mirajane. Lucy had taken to rubbing the little golden dragon when she was nervous or upset, almost as if she got comfort from touching it.

The golden mark was evidence of her mate bond. Levy had had a hand in making that happen. A few months ago Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's fire dragonslayer, had come to her asking for help. He hadn't been able to understand his feelings for the celestial spirit mage, and Levy and the rest of the guild had helped him to confess to her. That had been quite an event for Fairy Tail, attempting to teach the naive slayer about love had been a challenge, but they had eventually succeeded and had helped Natsu keep Lucy from being snatched away from some jerk from Blue Pegasus. The two had been happily together ever since...

Levy was truly happy for the two of them. They were perfect together. Natsu's childlike antics brought out the fun part of Lucy, and her level-headedness kept the energetic slayer in line. They were the perfect team... Levy's heart clenched as a little bit of jealousy filled her. If only her love life would work out so well... But she couldn't imagine Gajeel doing what Natsu had done for Lucy...

"Levy? Are you ok?" said Lucy, concern in her voice. Levy snapped out of her wistful daydreaming, blushing a little.

"Oh... Yeah I'm fine Lu... Just thinking..." she said, her eyes tinged with a faint sadness. Lucy gave her an all too knowing look and sighed exasperatedly.

"You know you could just talk to him Levy," said the spirit mage, making Levy blush deeper.

"Are you kidding? Its Gajeel..." the blunette hissed at her blonde friend, looking around to make sure that the iron slayer wasn't within earshot. She couldn't see him anywhere so he must not have come to the guild yet... "You really think that talking to him is gonna change anything? I mean... You know how he is! He'll probably just laugh at me..." she continued, sadly. She picked moodily at her food as Lucy gave her a sympathetic pat on the back.

"Okay, so talking to him probably won't be a good idea. I have to admit he probably wouldn't have much tact when presented with a situation like this... But you can't keep putting it off Levy! You're still having the dreams right?" said the blonde. Levy nodded, still blushing. Lucy had insisted on getting all the details when Levy had first admitted having dreams about the iron dragonslayer. She wouldn't say why, but Lucy fiercely insisted that they were important.

"Yeah... Another one last night... No I'm not giving you the details about this one Lu..." she said dryly as the celestial spirit mage opened her mouth to ask a question. The blonde pouted but didn't ask any questions. A faint memory from the end of the dream wormed its way to the front of Levy's mind and she paused, feeling a bit confused... "But... At the end... I swear I heard Gajeel cry out... Like he was in pain..." She looked up at Lucy and saw the blonde's eyes narrow. "Lu?"

"Levy... You're sure about that?" she said, her voice serious. Levy was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude.

"Y-yeah... I'm certain I heard him..." she said, starting to feel a bit worried. Lucy turned to look around the guild and called out when she saw who she was searching for.

"Natsu! Come here, we need your help!" the blonde called to her boyfriend, who was busy arguing with Gray Fullbuster. Immediately his head snapped around and he headed over, a worried expression on his face when he heard the tone of his mate's voice.

"What's wrong Luce?" said the fire mage, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. Ever since the incident with Darius, Natsu had been very protective of his girlfriend. Lucy's expression softened a little and she placed her hand over his before speaking.

"Have you seen Gajeel today at all? Levy... I mean we think that something might be up," said the blonde woman. Levy's heart began to pound painfully. What? When did we decide that? Does Lucy know something about these dreams? Natsu's eyes narrowed as he looked into his mate's eyes. He nodded and sniffed at the air, trying to pick up the iron slayer's scent.

"I don't smell him at all..." said Natsu, his eyes casting about in case his sense of smell was being interfered with. Levy began to get really worried as she saw Natsu shake his head. "He's not here. I don't think he's been here for a few days..." Levy knew that Gajeel had gone out on a job recently, but he should have been back by now... Had something happened?

Her question was answered almost immediately as the front doors of the guild burst open and a very battered Pantherlilly stumbled in, still in his battle form.

"Lily! You're hurt!" exclaimed Levy, running over to him and crouching down as he reverted back to his normal form. The little black cat was bleeding from numerous wounds, and his expression was pained. Levy moved over as Wendy Marvell, Fairy Tail's sky dragonslayer and healer, rushed over and immediately began healing the exceed. "What happened? Where's Gajeel?" said Levy, terror in her voice. Lily managed to open one eye and began to speak haltingly.

"We...got ambushed...had just finished job..." panted Lily, pausing as he winced in pain. After taking a few deep breaths he continued, his strength already returning as Wendy's magic healed him. "We were on our way back... When we got attacked by a dark guild... They outnumbered us... I don't know how... But they seemed to know Gajeel's weaknesses... We fought as hard as we could... But in the end they caught him... He told me to go back to the guild and warn everyone..."

The guild was filled with mutters as everyone looked around at each other, all looking worried. An attack by a dark guild was not good... And they had taken one of their own captive... What did this mean...?

"Lily," said Master Makarov as he approached them, an angry look in his eyes. "Did you manage to find out the name of the dark guild? I want to know who's responsible for attacking my children..." Everyone could feel the rage radiating off the small man in waves... Nobody messed with Fairy Tail and got away with it. Levy cradled the small black exceed as Wendy finished healing him. He was still very weak, but it was all that the sky slayer could do. He nodded slowly and spoke.

"They called themselves... Phantom Reborn..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my dearies!**

**Well I'm sorry for the delay but I finally got the second chapter finished! I've been a bit busy with school and such... Who am I kidding I was wallowing in self pitty over Valentine's cause my boyfriend lives in another country... Wine helps. It helps a lot.**

**But anyway! I'm sure ya'll are eager to find out what's going to happen! The reviews that I've gotten have all been really positive and excited sounding so I hope that this second chapter lives up to your expectations! I think I'm going to be focusing more on writing out fight scenes and such... That scene I did near the end of UMH was super fun to right... So the romantic stuff probably won't be making an appearance till the endish... I'm not really sure yet. We'll see!**

**Writing's been a bit difficult cause I've been watching shows other than Fairy Tail... I know... I'm awful... But I've really been wanting to watch Ouran Highschool Host Club (absolutely fabulous btw, really funny), Tokyo Ghoul (read it before and finally watching it, LOVING IT), and I just got started on Noragami (only on episode two but liking it so far!)... But never fear my dearies! I just read the new Fairy Tail chapter this morning and it had rekindled the fire in my belly! (See what I did there?)**

**I'm dying to find somewhere where I can talk to others about the newest chapters and episodes so if ya'll have any suggestions please let me know! (None of my friends are quite as obsessed as I am or they're not caught up on it...)**

**Let's see... Anything else...? I don't think so...**

**Well as always, leave a review or suggestions! I absolutely love getting feedback from ya'll! I may start taking votes for the pairing of the sequel after this early so I can start thinking of what I want to happen in it... So let me know if you want Jerza or Gruvia in the next fic! **

**Much love**

**Sabina**

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Chapter 2

**Levy's POV**

_Gajeel...? Captured...?_

"But... But how is that possible?" said Levy quietly as she sat by Lily's bed in the infirmary. She hadn't left the little cat's side since he had returned to the guild hall, and she was becoming delirious with exhaustion. She had cried. When Lily had told them Gajeel had been captured, she had cried and cried until the tears wouldn't come anymore. Lucy and the others had tried to console her but their voices had been faint in her ears as she had been consumed with worry...

How had Gajeel been captured? He was so strong... There was no way that even a dark guild could take him down... But... If that guild knew some of his weaknesses...

"Phantom Reborn..." she whispered to herself. Apparently Gajeel's old guild had decided to reform...changing from a legal guild to a dark guild in the process... Levy shuddered at the memories of Fairy Tail's last confrontation with Phantom... Back then Gajeel had been one of their strongest members, and he had been ruthless and cruel... Why were they after him now?

"Levy... You should get some rest..." said Lucy as she slipped into the room, shutting the door to the main hall behind her so as to shut out all the noise. Levy shook her head and looked at Lily's sleeping face. The little black exceed was still very weak. His physical wounds had been healed but it would be a little while before his full strength returned.

"I can't... I just... I hope he's okay..." said Levy quietly, her small fists clenching in her lap. Lucy came over and sat down next to her, throwing a comforting arm over the bluenette's shoulders. Levy trembled as she tried to hold in her sobs. She knew that she cared for the iron slayer, but she hadn't expected herself to react like this...

"I know Levy... I'm sure he's fine... You know how tough he is... We'll find him..." said the blonde soothingly. Levy could feel the first few tears running down her face and finally she broke down. She clung to her best friend, crying as quietly as she could so as to not wake Lily. Lucy stroked her hair and held the solid script mage tightly.

"Lu... I... I don't want him to be hurt... I-I..." she began, her heart wanting to say something but her mind keeping her from doing so. Lucy gave her a sad, gentle smile.

"You love him don't you Levy?" Lucy asked. Levy stiffened, tears still flowing down her face. Did she love him? She knew he was attracted to him... But she hadn't thought that her feelings were much deeper than that. She looked up at her blonde friend, eyes wide and a look of confusion on her face. Lucy smiled warmly at her and passed the blunette a tissue. "It's okay to admit it Levy. I've been able to see it for a while, even if you haven't completely realized it. You look at him the same way I look at Natsu," she said softly, her eyes sparkling the way they did when she thought about her mate.

"Do I really...?" asked Levy, staring down at her palms as she calmed down a little. Lucy nodded and patted the other woman on the back.

"You sure do girl... He's changed a lot since he's joined the guild, and I think that you've had a lot to do with that. You don't see it, but he's always watching you... Always looking out for you," said the celestial spirit mage. Levy couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face as her heart skipped a beat. He really did that? She clenched her fists and looked up at Lucy, her eyes shining and her expression determined.

"I have to rescue him Lu... I... I wanna tell him..." said Levy. Lucy beamed at her and hugged her tightly.

"You're much braver than I was Levy... But I'll go with you, Natsu too. We'll help you rescue Gajeel," said Lucy, holding Levy at arm's length and looking her in the eyes. Levy could feel tears running down her face again as she nodded. She was truly lucky to have such wonderful friends.

"I'm going too..." said Lily, sitting up in the bed. He had a determined gleam in his eye and they both knew that he wouldn't let himself be left behind.

"Wouldn't dream of leaving you behind Lily," said Levy, scratching gently behind his ears. They all jumped when someone walked around from behind the privacy curtain. It was the Master.

"Master... I assume you heard?" said Levy slowly, a little afraid of what he'd say but not willing to back down. The small man nodded, his face stern. Levy was beginning to get worried when his expression softened.

"You have my blessing... We cannot allow one of our own to be taken away from us. Phantom Reborn has made an enemy of Fairy Tail yet again... And we will respond the same way we did last time," said the master, and everyone in the room shuddered as his tone became rather frightening. "Select a team to go with you. I suggest the rest of Lucy's team and perhaps Juvia as well. She was once a member of Phantom... She may be at risk as well, but I believe the best place for her to be is where the enemy doesn't expect her. I'll leave it up to Erza to decide who else should go along," said Makarov, nodding at Lucy who stood up and exited the room to gather up the team.

"Master..." began Levy, not sure what to say. The old man shook his head and gave the young woman a sad smile.

"You don't need to say anything my child. I understand all too well the desire to protect those we hold dear..." he said. Levy gave him a weak smile and glanced out the window. She could see dark clouds rolling in towards Magnolia.

A storm was coming.

* * *

**Gajeel's POV**

Darkness...

Pain...

Confusion...

The iron dragonslayer groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He didn't know where he was or how he had gotten there. It was a dark cave of some sort, damp and foul smelling. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Why did he always end up in shit holes like this? He tried moving his arms and legs.

_Nope. Chained up._ And from the looks of it it was made out of titanium, something he hadn't managed to eat yet. _Just perfect..._ He sighed and resigned himself to wait to see what would happen next. It didn't look like he'd be going anywhere anytime soon.

It turns out he didn't have long to wait before his captors made an appearance. He smelled them first. It was a sour stench... It reeked of dark magic. His eyes narrowed as three figures entered the dank cave from a door he hadn't noticed. They stood before him, and he found that he could recognize them.

"Aria? And Sol? Haven't seen you guys in ages... Still up to no good I see..." said the slayer weakly. He was really beat up, not to mention starving.

"That is Monsieur Sol to you, traitor," said the thin man on the right. He was a former member of Phantom Lord's Element Four, Sol of the Land. He was eyeing Gajeel with contempt, obviously disgusted by what he saw. "You're looking... Foul...I must say Black Steel..." Gajeel snorted and turned his eyes to the larger figure on the left.

"Aria, still as much of a crybaby as I remember..." he said, seeing the tears streaming from the large man's bandaged eyes. The big man began sobbing loudly and Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"It saddens me to see a former comrade turned traitor! To the very guild that destroyed us and sent us from the top guild of years ago to a bunch of strays. Gajeel, you bring sorrow to my heart at your betrayal!" The big man continued to bawl as the center figure stepped forward to peer at Gajeel's bruised face.

"Indeed... It's a shame you had to ally yourselves with those pathetic fairies Gajeel my boy..." said Jose Porla, the former master of Phantom Lord. Gajeel wrinkled his nose in disgust; the older man reeked of foul magic and his close proximity was making the iron dragonslayer nauseous. "But we'll soon fix that..."

"What are you talking about?" snarled Gajeel, wrenching at the chains that held him tightly. A spell must have been placed on them to keep them from breaking... The dark mage chuckled and began pacing back and forth in front of the place where Gajeel was chained to the wall.

"Why... I'm referring to your return to the guild. Phantom Reborn is in need of strong members if we are to make our glorious comeback... As the former strongest member of the guild, you are an asset if we are to become stronger than before. We'll be heading after Miss Juvia as well... I hear she's gotten quite strong since Phantom disbanded..." Gajeel snorted in derision. The old man had to be joking.

"You're out of your mind if you think that we'd join back up with you. Phantom Lord was a joke. It wasn't a real guild...ARGH!" Gajeel coughed blood as Jose's fist slammed into his gut with tremendous force. Gajeel's eyes were wide with pain; the old man had monstrous strength now. What had he done...? Was this the effect of the strange dark magic he could sense?

"I thought that this would be a difficult process... It seems as if we're going to have to resort to more intense methods to...persuade you..." hissed the older man, a dark gleam in his eyes.

Gajeel had a feeling that things were only going to get worse from this point on...

He braced himself for the next impact...


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello my lovelies! **

**Oh. My. Goodness... I am sooooo sorry for the delay on this super short chapter! D: I have been the busiest of bees lately and I haven't had time to write! I'm sorryyyy forgive meeeeeee!**

**Also I know that this chapter is really short... I've been outta my writing brain for a while and I probably won't be able to write longer and more detailed chapters till this weekend... I have a few exams before my spring break starts and I have to do a lot of studying for those... But I promise that I'll write some good chapters over break for ya'll!**

**Also! Quick request! I'd love to see some art of scenes from my first fanfic, Understanding My Heart...but I'm terrible at drawing people! *sob* If anyone wants to give it a try PM me and let me know! I can offer to write a one-shot of your choice if you draw something! *craving some NaLu love***

**I've gotta keep this kinda short cause I've gotta get back to studying... But I wanted to at least give you guys a little something since I've been so bad about updating! *cry***

**Sorry for the huge delay!**

**As always leave a review or a suggestion!**

**Much love**

**Sabina**

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Chapter 3

**Levy's POV**

"So you're sure this is the spot?" said Levy, shielding her eyes from the sun and looking about. The team that had been selected to rescue Gajeel was standing in the middle of a small clearing, not far from the town that the iron slayer's last job had been in. Levy looked down at Lily who nodded slowly, taking in the scene.

"Yeah. This is definitely the place... There's where we set up camp," he said, pointing at a pile of charred logs and a couple of packs that had been left on the ground. Levy slowly walked up to the spot and looked down, taking in the scene. There were obvious scuffs and gouges in the dirt, a clear sign that there had been a struggle. She fought to keep tears from her eyes as she slowly bent and picked up a bolt that had been half eaten.

"Gajeel..." she whispered. She was really worried about the iron dragonslayer... She hadn't been able to sleep since they had found out that he was missing the previous day. Exhaustion was really taking a toll on the solid script mage, and she wobbled a bit as she got to her feet. Lucy looked at her with some concern before sharing a knowing look with Natsu.

"We should rest here for tonight," said the fire dragonslayer, setting his own pack down on the ground. "The scent is really clear so I should be able to pick it up in the morning to follow it." Levy nodded and slumped down against the tree, still holding the half eaten bolt in her hand. She looked at it glumly, her mind wandering, wondering what could be happening to Gajeel at that moment.

The rest of the group didn't bother the blunette while the busied themselves with setting up camp. They all knew that she was stressed and upset. Juvia too was looking a little gloomy, as she had known Gajeel the longest and was a close friend of his. Everyone else was trying to lighten the mood by starting a fire and cooking a meal, but it didn't seem to do much to life the two blunettes' spirits.

"Levy... You should eat..." said Lucy, a look of concern on her face as she sat down next to Levy and offered her a bowl of stew. Levy took the bowl slowly and began to eat, her eyes still full of worry and sadness. "Gajeel will be fine Levy... He's tough... He can handle himself..." said the celestial spirit mage, patting Levy gently on the back. Levy just nodded slowly. Lucy sighed and got up to go take her place next to Natsu, sensing that the solid script mage wanted to be left alone.

After finishing her meal Levy got up and made her way to the tent that Erza had set up for the women to share. She didn't speak, her mind too pre-occupied with her own thoughts. She got into her sleeping bag and curled up into a tight little ball, her stomach clenching with worry as her exhaustion finally began dragging her down into sleep.

"Gajeel..." she whispered softly, a tear slowly leaking from her closed eyes.

* * *

Her dreams were chaotic.

It was dark, damp, and cold. She could feel hard restraints around her limbs and a harsh pang of hunger in her belly. Suddenly a flash of pain lanced through her as something struck her heavily in the gut. Blood spouted from her mouth as she sputtered and wheezed.

"You're only making this more difficult for yourself Gajeel..." said a sinister voice. She shivered at the sound of it and cringed back a little, wanting to get away from the hideous noise.

"Go...to...hell..." she panted, her voice breaking weakly. Cold laughter filled the cave and she braced herself for the blows that she knew were coming...


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello my lovelies!**

**Wow I finally managed to get a new chapter finished! I'm sorry for the delay again... School has got me pretty busy, and I'm usually pretty worn out when I get home at night so I haven't had much energy to write... And I've had a lot of personal stuff going on that I'm working through. Like deciding on what grad school's I'm going to apply to... I'm trying to get back into it though! I got a bit of a motivational kick from starting to rewatch the show and from the new manga chapters! (Side note: Current manga arc has me crazed with curiosity of what's going to happen next... I'm so excited to see what happens...)**

**Anywho! I struggled a little with this chapter... I'm still trying to really decide how I want this to go and it's been difficult to get the plot going but I think I've got a rough outline that will turn into something good! I'm not sure how it will stack up with the previous fic (which I am immensely proud of) but I'm hoping it will be almost as good! Also I'm going to be dropping the POVs as someone told me that I don't really need to do them... So we'll see how it turns out!**

**Well I'll keep this short(ish) and let you get on to reading! I'll try to update more soon! Please leave a review and suggestions! I love getting them!**

**Much love**

**Sabina**

* * *

Chapter 4

Levy hadn't slept well at all... Her dreams had been fitful; full of dark shadows, screams, and a feeling of terror... Many times during the night she had awakened, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. These brief moments of consciousness had been accompanied by a strange feeling, like the ghost of some pain she had experienced in her dreams. Levy had broken down in tears after waking for the third time, clutching Lily to her and burying her face in his soft fur until she drifted back into her haunted dreams. Lily hadn't protested, he too was worried about the Iron Dragonslayer and found comfort in their shared concern.

"Oh Levy you look exhausted..." said Lucy, eyeing the blue haired mage with a great deal of concern as she stirred the pot of stew she and Juvia had prepared for breakfast. Levy nodded dumbly, rubbing her tired eyes as she sat down by Erza. The red haired woman patted the solid script mage on the back, her eyes full of sympathy.

"We can wait a while to begin the search," said Erza. "It'll still be a bit before the boys wake up, but we can take a little longer if you need the rest. We don't want to confront Phantom at less than full strength. We don't know how strong they've gotten." Levy shook her head.

"No. We can't afford to wait any longer than necessary. I... I have a feeling that Gajeel is in pain..." said Levy, her eyes clouding over as her heart constricted and her limbs shivered. Lucy's eyes narrowed. Levy felt the need to explain herself. "The dreams... Last night I had several of them. But they weren't the normal kind. They were...darker... I couldn't see much, just flashes of movement, dark rock walls, chains. And I heard...screams..." She stopped there, taking a deep breath before continuing. "And whenever I woke up I felt...strange. As if I was feeling the ghost of an old injury. But... I somehow know it wasn't me being hurt."

Levy jumped in surprise as Lucy darted over and sat down in front of the solid script mage, staring at her intently. The blunette jumped again and squealed in surprise as the suddenly awake Natsu plopped down next to his mate and began staring with just as much intensity. Levy was utterly confused as she watched them looked at each other, then back to her, then back to each other again. They seemed to reach some sort of unspoken agreement and nodded in unison.

"We need to tell her," said Lucy, earning a vigorous nod from the Fire Dragonslayer. Levy wasn't the only one who looked bemused at the couple's odd behavior. Juvia, Erza, and Lily were looking just as confused as Levy as they listened to the conversation. Happy was the only one besides Gray, who was still sound asleep, who seemed to understand what was going on between the two.

"Tell me what?" said Levy, beginning to feel a bit exasperated from the combination of lack of sleep and confusion. Lucy sighed, a slight smile on her face, and patted her friend on the shoulder in a sisterly manner.

"This is going to sound crazy, but then again we deal with crazy on a daily basis... Levy I think, no I'm positive, that you are Gajeel's lifemate." The camp was silent as the group precessed this. Levy's face reddened and her mouth fell open as she realized what Lucy meant.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed the group, startling Gray awake and sending the birds in the trees wheeling into the sky in alarm. Erza and Juvia's faces were just as red as they stared at the tiny woman, clearly trying to imagine her being Gajeel's "mate". Gray was staring blearily around at them, not understanding what was going on.

"What's all the racket for?" grumbled the ice mage, yawning and standing, not realizing that he had stripped in his sleep and was now completely nude.

"Clothes, ice perv..." growled Natsu, his eyes firmly clamped over Lucy's eyes. The guild had quickly learned that Natsu's protectiveness over Lucy had increased dramatically since they had become mates, and he was much less tolerant of Gray's stripping habit, especially around Lucy. Gray looked down sleepily at himself for a few seconds before he realized that he was naked and hurried to cover himself. Juvia, who had been trying not to stare greedily at the ice mage, made a small sound of disappointment. She was trying very hard to take Lucy's advice about backing off a bit from Gray, but she clearly still struggled around him when he was in the nude. Once Gray had dressed himself he settled down and accepted the bowl of food Juvia handed him. He looked back at Lucy his head cocked to the side, curious as to why everyone seemed so flustered.

"Alright, now what's going on? Why was everyone shouting?" he asked, taking a sip of the stew. Lucy giggled at the deep blush still blooming on Levy's cheeks.

"I was just saying that I think Levy is Gajeel's lifemate," said the blonde. Gray spat out is mouthful of stew, barely missing Natsu who leaned out of the way in time.

"Say what?!" exclaimed Gray, ogling Levy. She felt thoroughly embarrassed... She hadn't told anyone but Lucy about her dreams about Gajeel and she hadn't thought that anyone else would find out so soon. Erza was red in the face, clearly just as shocked by this revelation, and Juvia looked both shocked and pleased. She and the Iron Dragonslayer had been in Phantom Lord together and had a close friendship.

"H-how? How do you know this?" sputtered Erza. Lucy, laughed and the Fire Dragonslayer laid a loving hand on her shoulder. Levy already knew the story, but she still sat patiently and listened as the couple explained about Dragonslayer and their ability to connect with their mates during dreams. The group sat in stunned silence when Natsu and Lucy had finished their explanation.

"I suppose that it makes sense..." mused Erza, finally shaking herself out of her shock. Levy was still red in the face and praying that they wouldn't inquire into the nature of her dreams. Erza snapped her fingers as a thought occurred to her. "Levy, we'll rely on Natsu's sense of smell for today but I want you to try something tonight. If possible I want you to try to make contact with Gajeel in your dream. We can't be certain that you'll remember everything that he tells you, based on Natsu and Lucy's description of what happened to them, but we may be able to get at least a little information on who we're up against and where we should be looking for Gajeel."

Levy nodded, unsure if she would be able to have any control over her dreams, but eager to try if it would help them to find Gajeel. The hurriedly finished eating and packed up their camp. Levy and Lily were particularly eager to get moving.

"I'm sure he's alright," said Lily, taking notice of her worried expression as he hovered by Levy's shoulder. "Gajeel is strong. He won't go down so easily." Levy smiled slightly and patted the black exceed on his head.

"Alright Natsu, do your thing," said Lucy, patting her boyfriend on the shoulder. Natsu inhaled deeply, searching for Gajeel's scent.

"This way," said the Fire Dragonslayer, pointing towards some distant mountains. The group followed him as he set off after Gajeel's trail...

* * *

Gajeel ached all over... Almost the entirety of his body was blackened by heavy bruising, and his eyes could barely open anymore... Numerous lacerations covered his body, slowly oozing blood as he hung from his chains, the bleeding never really stopping. He supposed that all the bruises could have been the reason why...

It had been only two days since his capture, but he already looked as if he'd been trapped for months... In addition to the bruises and cuts, Gajeel's clothes were torn and he was covered in dirt and filth. His hair was matted with mud and blood, and his teeth were stained red from the blood he was continually coughing up.

"Why won't they just kill me already? I made it clear that I'll never join their shitty guild..." he rasped faintly to himself. They had beaten him to the edge of death, but wouldn't strike the final blow... Jose seemed determined to beat him into submission and have him return to Phantom.

Gajeel wouldn't give in though... Fairy Tail was his guild now. For the first time in his life he felt truly accepted... They had taken him in, even after what he had done to them... They had given him a work, a home, and friendship... There was also...

"_Gajeel_!"

He could hear her voice clearly as an image of her smiling face filled his mind. Her blue hair tied up as she ran up to him excitedly, showing him something from some book she had been reading. Gajeel never showed it, but his heartbeat quickened and his mood never failed to lighten whenever she gave him that smile... _Levy... What I wouldn't give to see that smile right now..._

For a brief moment his heart leapt when he heard the door slowly opening. There was a chance that they had found him... Lily had gotten away... And knowing Salamander he would have rushed off to search for him once Lily told the guild what happened. They had their differences, but that flame brain never left a comrade in need... And Levy... He knew she'd help... He had a feeling that she felt the same way he did, but he could never bring himself to confront her about it. He didn't think he deserved her... Crap he was sounding like that Jellal now... All noble and whatnot...

His heart sank when Jose stepped into the dim light of the cave. The dark mage was again accompanied by Aria and Sol, both leering at him as they took in his sorry state.

"Well Gajeel you can probably guess what I'm going to ask you..." drawled Jose, wrinkling his nose in disgust as Gajeel coughed, a dribble of blood running down from the corner of his mouth as he did. Gajeel spat, aiming for Jose's face, but the guildmaster stepped aside to avoid it. "Same response as last time I see... Well we'll just have to continue our persuasion... I think we'll make a change though... We don't want this to take weeks, so I think I'll have one of our newer members help along with the process." An evil gleam filled the older man's eyes as a small figure stepped out from the shadows... Gajeel eyed it warily.

"How is a pipsqueak like that going to make me agree to join your gang?" scoffed the dragonslayer, not dignifying Phantom with the title of guild. Jose chuckled darkly. Gajeel's stomach clenched as a hint of dread filled his heart.

"Oh this 'pipsqueak' is quite special... You see...he possesses a type of Lost Magic... Very familiar with the Arc of Time used by that Ultear woman..." said Jose, stepping back as the young man stepped forward. Gajeel's nostrils flared and he struggled as he caught the figure's scent... It was a foul stench...making bile rise in Gajeel's throat as he tried not to show fear. It smelled like terror, blood, and death...

Gajeel screamed as the young man's eyes gleamed dully in the darkness...


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my lovelies!**

**I think I'm starting to get back on a roll with this story! I'm liking my decision to stop using POV's and just let it kinda flow naturally from character to character... It kinda makes things easier. I'd love to be able to do this with my other fic I'm working on but there's too many characters in it for that...**

**Not a terribly long chapter but it was a pretty important one as far as the plot goes. I think the next one will have some action in it as the gang gets closer to Phantom Reborn's hideout so that'll be fun to write! **

**I really hope that you enjoy this chapter! Also taking on requests for oneshots that ya'll might want me to do cause they're a nice way to keep my brain fresh!**

**Reviews and suggestions are welcomed as always!**

**Much love**

**Sabina**

* * *

"Ugh I'm exhausted..." groaned Lucy, plopping down on the ground. The rescue team had decided to halt again for the night. Natsu's sense of smell had led them to the foot of the mountains but the scent was getting fainter and he was having difficulty. The light was beginning to fade as well and it would be dangerous to continue on in the dark.

"I think we're going to have to go with the plan to have Levy try to contact Gajeel in her dreams," said Erza throwing down her pack. For the sake of moving quickly she had settled for one large bag instead of her usual dozens of suitcases.

"I don't know if I can though..." said Levy, biting her lip. Natsu settled himself down next to Lucy and gave the solid script mage a wide grin.

"Don't worry Levy we're sure you can do it," he said. Levy smiled a little at his encouragement. Natsu grinned slyly. "Just don't forget to ask him even if the dream gets a little hot and he-...OUCH!" He was cut off as Lucy elbowed him hard in the ribs. Levy couldn't help but laugh a little. They were right, if she tried hard enough she could do it. She had to, for Gajeel's sake.

"That's the spirit!" said Gray as he and Juvia walked off to gather firewood. When they were out of earshot his expression darkened and he seemed troubled. Juvia noticed and cocked her head to the side.

"You don't seem very confident that Levy will be able to tap into Gajeel's dreams," she said. Gray scratched the back of his head absently.

"I want to believe that she can... I just find it a little strange about these dreams that dragonslayers apparently get," he said. Juvia nodded, a pensive look on her face.

"It is a bit strange. But Juvia believes them if they say it happens. Juvia thinks its quite romantic actually..." she said, a faraway look in her eyes. Gray wondered if she was thinking about him... He knew how she felt about him... And was pretty sure that he felt the same about her... He just wasn't entirely sure yet... The whole ordeal with Natsu and Lucy had really made him evaluate his views of the water mage and he had found that he really did care for her as more than a friend...but he wanted to think about it more before going anywhere with it...

When they returned with the firewood Levy was a bit more cheerful. She knew that she had to have more confidence in herself or she would fail...

After they had eaten the group had settled down to get some sleep. Levy was still a little unsure about this whole thing, but she hardened her resolve as she closed her eyes. She had to try for Gajeel. The bluenette relaxed as she lay on her back, letting the sounds of the forest around them lull her into sleep...

* * *

Faint afternoon light shone through the window as Levy sat in her favorite chair reading a book. The chair was positioned in the perfect spot in the room. She could always feel a nice breeze when it came in through the window, but it was not in a spot where sunlight would ever hit her in the face. The young woman was content as she turned another page of her book.

"Hey shrimp," said a deep voice. Levy glanced up to see Gajeel crouching in the open window of her room, grinning at her. She smiled at him and placed book on the table next to her chair. She got up and approached the iron dragonslayer, not surprised to see him at her window. As she got closer she saw that he looked tired...exhausted even... Her brows furrowed in concern as he climbed all the way into her room, wincing a littl in pain.

"Gajeel... What's wrong...?" she asked, hurrying over and looking up into his pained face. Gajeel himself looked confused as he stared at his shaking hands. There was a nagging thought at the back of his head that he couldn't quite grasp at...

"I... I'm not sure... I think... That something happened to me, but I'm not sure what," he winced as she guided him over to the chair and helped him to sit down. "All I know is that everything hurts..." Levy was beginning to get very worried about him. She couldn't help it as she reached out and placed a delicate hand on his forehead.

"Are you getting sick?" she asked. She blushed a little when she saw Gajeel staring at her intently.

"No I don't think I am... Probably just got beat...up..." he began, but slowed as a thought occurred to him. What was the last thing he remembered? There was the job... Had he ever come home from that? No... He hadn't... Gajeel wracked his brains as he struggled to remember what had happened to him recently. "I... I never made it home from my last job did I?" he said slowly. Levy stiffened, her mind also racing through her most recent memory.

"No you didn't... Lily did though..." she said. Somehow talking it out was helping the memories to become clearer in her mind. "He said... Something happened to you guys on the way home."

"That's right something did happen!" exclaimed Gajeel, taking ahold of her shoulders gently and staring at her intently. "We... We got ambushed on the way back to the guild!" Levy nodded vigorously, the memories becoming clearer and clearer every second.

"Yes! It was... It was Phantom Reborn! They attacked you and kidnapped you!" she exclaimed, panic beginning to take hold in her heart. There was something else... Something that someone had told her to do... If only she could remember what it was!

"It's becoming clearer... Jose turned Phantom into a dark guild. He's trying to bring back the strongest members of the guild! Juvia is in danger too, you've got to make sure that she stays safe Levy! They're torturing me. Trying to get me to join back up with the guild!" said Gajeel, gritting his teeth. Levy nodded, pulling away from him and pacing in front of the chair, desperately trying to remember what it was that she had to do. "What is it?" he asked, watching her as she grimaced in concentration.

"There was something else... Erza... She asked me to do something... Something in my dreams... That's it! We're dreaming right now! Somehow you and I are connected in our dreams!" she exclaimed. Gajeel looked perplexed, but also as if he had just remembered something.

"I think you're right... This isn't the only dream I've had about you either..." he said, eyes darkening a little as memories of the past dreams filled his subconscious mind. His gaze raked over her and he could feel himself getting distracted by her petite body... Levy saw the look in his eyes and blushed, getting exasperated.

"I... I remember those too... But now is not the time Gajeel! There's something really important I need you to tell me!" she exclaimed. The iron dragonslayer was giving her a hungry look and she knew that she didn't have long before the dream state took hold again. She herself was struggling to maintain focus.

"Hurry shrimp... I... I don't know what's happening... But I'm losing control over here..." growled Gajeel, gritting his teeth and obviously straining not to get up and pounce on her. Levy thought as hard as she could as she felt her control over the dream slipping... Suddenly she had it!

"I've got it! Gajeel I need you to tell me anything that you can about where they took you. Smells, sights, sounds... As many details as you can!" she said, feeling her feet trying to tug her forward towards his waiting arms... She wanted to... Oh how she wanted to fall into his arms... But not before she got the information she needed. Gajeel grunted and dug his fingers into the arms of the chair, fighting to keep his control.

"Cave... Cold air rushing in from the door. Probably high up in the mountains. Damp on the inside though... Awful smell. Rotting," he growled. He was close to losing control he knew it. Any moment the dream would take ahold of him again and he wouldn't be able give her any more information. He wracked his brains for even the most minute details. "Stench of balkins everywhere too, so probably an old den... Is Salamander with you?" He knew he only had seconds left. Levy was slowly walking towards the chair, and his arms had lifted to pull her into an his embrace. Damn how he wanted to hold her in real life... _NO FOCUS!_ If that flame brain was with her he would be able to hunt down any strange scents that he had noticed.

Levy too was struggling. She had almost reached the chair, Gajeel's arms were less than a foot away from her...

"Yes! Erza, Lucy, Lily, Gray, and Juvia too!" she said hurriedly. They didn't have any time left. Gajeel desperately searched his memory for a scent that would be easily found. An image of pale eyes glowing in the darkness filled his mind and he remembered the putrid stench. He shook violently as he felt his control slipping...

"Tell him... Find where it smells like death!" he managed as he completely lost control. Levy fell into his arms and his lips crashed into hers as he held her tightly.

Why was she crying? Levy wasn't certain but it didn't really matter... All that mattered was that Gajeel's hands were inching their way down her back to the hem of her dress...

* * *

Levy's eyes shot open as her dream ended and she woke up. She felt dazed and her head hurt... The solid script mage was having trouble getting her thoughts together. That had been...quite the strange dream... Things had started normally enough...then she and Gajeel had had quite the strange conversation...then... She blushed when she remembered the rest of the dream.

"She's awake!" exclaimed Lucy, hurrying over and kneeling next to Levy who was rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Levy! Did it work? Can you remember anything from the dream?" said the celestial spirit mage eagerly. Levy looked at her in puzzlement for a moment before taking in her surroundings... That was right, they were on a mission to rescue Gajeel... Suddenly the conversation that she had in the dream with Gajeel came rushing into her mind. She grabbed Lucy's hand and nodded excitedly.

"Yes! I can remember what he told me! It's definitely Phantom. Jose's trying to gather up the strongest wizards from before Phantom was disbanded! Juvia... You've got to be careful, they'll try to capture you too!" she said hurriedly, wanting to get all the information out in case she somehow lost it. "They're torturing him... He's in a cave somewhere hight in the mountains by the sound of it. An old balkin den he thinks. He said it smelled awful, like it was rotting..." she struggled to remember the last thing that Gajeel had told her before they had lost conrol.

"That's great Levy! Anything else?" said Natsu. The final memory became clear and she shivered at the tone in Gajeel's voice when he had given her this final bit of information...

"Yeah... Natsu, he said to tell you to find the place that smells like death..." she said quitely.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello dearies!**

**Today we have a Gajeel only chapter! It's a little shorter than normal but trust me... It's super important! Basically life sucks for Gajeel right now... I hate to do this to him but ughhh...the payoff is going to be sooooo good! Please don't hate me for putting him through so much! I love him just as much as ya'll!**

**I think I really am getting back into my writing frame of mind! I'm so hyped about the Sun Village/Tartarus arc starting in the anime of Friday I can't stand it! And don't even get me started on the manga! Desperately hoping chubby Sting isn't permanent... And all those NaLu moments... *fangirl swoon***

**Okay for realsies... I really hope you enjoy this chapter! I think I'm really getting the hang of writing less fluffy stuff and developing my more serious style... Its actually quite fun to write! Not to mention much less embarassing!**

**I'll leave it there for now and let you get on to reading!**

**Reviews and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!**

**Much love**

**Sabina**

* * *

Gajeel couldn't help the slight grin on his face when he awoke. That wonderful shrimp... She really was on her way to save him with the cavalry. Thank goodness Lily had managed to get away to let them know what had happened. He had no idea how long it would take them to reach him, but he had to stay strong until then... Gajeel's eyes darkened a little as he thought about his captors... Would the rescue team be able to beat them? Jose had certainly become much stronger... And Aria and Sol were no slouches either... Then there was that kid... Gajeel shuddered at the memory of him. He didn't know who or even what that kid was, but he did know that he was the worst of the lot. Hopefully the team would be able to make it to this place without being detected...

"Please... Stay safe shrimp..." he whispered to himself. She was tough he knew, but he didn't know what he'd do if something happened to her. He allowed himself to think on the rest of what had happened in his dream... His lips curled back in a wide grin as he thought about the weeks of dreams he'd been having... So she was having them too huh? He and the little lady had quite a lot to discuss when he got out of here... His heart pounded as his spirits lifted even in this dire situation. So she did care for him in the same way... Well if he got out of here alive he wasn't going to waste time anymore...

Almost as if they had sensed his elation at finding out help was on the way, the door to the cave creaked open and Jose and his cronies stepped in. Gajeel suppressed the urge to sneer at them as the door slammed shut behind them. He couldn't let on that the others were coming. They would need the element of surprise in order to get the upper hand with this bunch... Jose eyed him contemptuously as Gajeel glowered at him through his filthy hair.

"Well Gajeel are you finally ready to join us then?" asked the former Wizard Saint. Gajeel growled and rolled his eyes. The creep really had to ask? Jose shook his head and crossed his arms as he walked up to where Gajeel still hung from the chains. He sneered up at the Iron Dragonslayer, his eyes gleaming malevolently. "Well it seems as if we'll have to do more persuading today..." he said, not sounding particularly upset about this. Gajeel tried to headbutt him but Jose stepped back quickly to avoid the blow.

"You're only making this harder on yourself Gajeel," sobbed Aria. "It would be such a shame if you were to suffer a terrible fate simply because you won't join us." Gajeel scoffed at this. Aria really got on his nerves with the constant waterworks.

"I'm not too worried about me dying," he rasped in a hoarsely. Being tortured was murder on the voice... His singing voice was probably ruined... Sol cackled and Jose sneered at his response. Gajeel eyed them warily... "What's so funny? I thought you wanted me alive? Won't be much use to you if I'm dead." This time Aria too joined in the mirth of the others (albeit in a rather teary way). Gajeel didn't like that... Something had changed... Jose's eyes gleamed evilly as he smirked at the dragonslayer.

"Who said anything about us killing you my boy?" he said, sending a shiver of fear down Gajeel's spine. "Killing you would indeed be very detrimental to our plans... But if we were to say... Kill that lovely young lady you've become so fond of... The mage who uses solid script magic... What was her name? Ah yes... The pretty Miss Levy McGarden..."

Gajeel snarled and yanked at the chains restraining him. Rage boiling up within him at the threat. He gnashed his teeth in frustration at his vain attempts to break his bonds.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on Levy!" he roared, eyes flashing angrily. Jose and the others laughed cruelly as he continued to struggle. Gajeel inwardly chastised himself. He couldn't let himself know that she was where they could get to her...

"What are you going to do about it Monsieur Gajeel? You aren't in any position to help the dear mademoiselle..." snickered Sol, wagging his finger at the chained slayer. Gajeel spat at him.

"I'd like to see you get your hands on her with all of Fairy Tail protecting her..." he jeered, confident that his bluff would do the trick. His heart sank when he saw the smirk on Jose's face.

"Oh I don't think we need to worry about seeking her out...when she's already on her way here," chuckled the dark master, his voice dripping with sadistic glee. _How...? _How had they found out? Aria's tearstained face split into a grin at the surprised look on Gajeel's face.

"Do not doubt my magical abilities Gajeel... My airspace is vast, and nothing enters it without my knowledge," he said. Gajeel's head slumped as he thought of what might happen to Levy... _No_... She had Salamander and Titania with her... Not to mention Lily and the Ice Princess... Juvia and the Bunny Girl as well... They could handle this group... He tried to put on a confident smirk as he glared up at them.

"Even if she is you won't be able to lay a finger on her... Salamander and the others will tear you apart," he chuckled. Jose waved a hand dismissively.

"While I am curious as to how you knew they were on their way, I don't have time to interrogate you about it. I am going to offer you a deal Gajeel... If you join us we will allow Miss McGarden to continue living... We'll even bring her into the guild as well for you to have. Her companions are stong I'll give them that..." he said, his eyes gleaming evilly as Aria waved his hand... A dense fog filled the chamber, obscuring them from sight. Gajeel's eyes cast about, searching for them as he prepared for the first blow. He flinched when Jose's voice chuckled in his ear. "But how would she do if she were to get separated from them..?. Fog in the mountains can be quite dangerous... She may fall down a ravine and break her spine... Or someone could sneak up on her quite easily... Nothing will be able to save her from us. If you don't join us she's as good as dead!"

Gajeel roared and thrashed more violently than ever. Images of Levy lying broken on the ground filled his mind and drove him mad. _No_! There's no way that would happen to her! She wouldn't get separated from the others! Cold laughter filled the chamber as horrible threats fell fast and furious from Gajeel's mouth. He growled in pain as a heavy blow landed on his side, and another on the side of his head. He couldn't stop the flow of horrible scenes that filled his mind. Levy in the ravine. Levy with a knife stuck in her back. Levy being crushed by falling rocks. Levy being tormented by shades as Jose laughed and raised his hand to deal a death blow...

"NOOOO!" roared Gajeel. Desperately he tried to activate his Iron Shadow Dragon mode, but nothing happened. The titanium that held him was enchanted... He couldn't escape! For one brief moment...the moment that was his undoing...he considered agreeing to the deal...

There was a truly evil sound behind him... He hadn't even seen the small figure come in... The young man was laughing... And it was the most terrifying sound that Gajeel had ever heard in his entire life...

"That's all that I needed... One little crack in your iron will..." hissed the young man, his eyes flashing.

Pain. Unbelievable pain ripped through Gajeel's mind and body... The force burned away at his consciousness... Forcing it back, back into a deep corner of his mind and sealing it there...

The last thing Gajeel thought before losing consciousness as an image of her smiling face...

"Levy... Run..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my dearies!**

**Well this was certainly a tough chapter to write... I was debating on how I wanted to begin the more actiony part of the story and I decided to go this way with it... I'm trying to write the story in a way that will allow Levy to have her spotlight and I think that the way I have planned out will work... **

**Since she's not the most powerful character its going to be tricky having her fight such strong characters in order to rescue Gajeel... To be honest I'm definitely mentally comparing her to Bilbo from the Hobbit right now... Not the strongest, but intelligent. You'll see what I mean when you read... **

**I feel kinda like this chapter is more sloppy than my others, and for that I apologize... It's coming up to the end of the semester and it's been difficult to get work on my fics done... I've got a lot on my plate... But I'll do my best!**

**As always leave a review/suggestion!**

**Much Love**

**Sabina**

* * *

Chapter 7

"Trust metal head to give us clues that are ridiculously hard to understand..." grumbled Natsu as he sniffed the ground. "Lets take a quick break."

The rescue party was now a fair ways into the mountain range, and by now they had completely lost the faint traces of Gajeel's scent. They now had to rely on the clues that Levy had gotten from her dream to find their way. It was getting late, and they had traveled a long way thanks to their magic. Climbing mountains was much easier when you could either fly or make a path. Gray's ice make magic and Virgo's digging ability had been particularly useful to the group as they trekked higher and higher.

"I'm sure he did the best that he could..." groaned Levy. She was tired, and her feelings of worry for the Iron Dragonslayer only intensified with each passing hour. What were they doing to him? He had said that they had been torturing him... How long could his body hold out under such abuse? Levy felt the beginnings of tears in the corners of her eyes and she hurriedly stifled the urge to cry. She couldn't be weak now. "It was really difficult to maintain control of the dream... We could only manage it for a few minutes," she added. Natsu grinned at her knowingly.

"I can only imagine," he chuckled. Levy reddened a little as he nudged her in the ribs. "I'm sure you both wanted to get onto more fun things," he sniggered. Levy sputtered and covered her now deeply red face with her hands.

"Natsu..." said Lucy softly, her expression affectionate as she walked over to her sniggering boyfriend and laid a hand on his shoulder. The Fire Dragonslayer stiffened and turned his head slowly to look at his girlfriend's smiling face. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you..." she whispered into his ear. "Remember what happened the last time you discussed private matters aloud?"

Natsu shuddered and nodded slowly. The Fire Dragonslayer had certainly learned his lesson about that. After he and Lucy had had their emotional confessions, the guild hadn't seen much of them for about a week as Natsu recovered from his injuries and they got used to their new relationship. When they had finally returned to the guild Natsu had been bursting with happiness and had wanted to share details with some of the men about what had happened over the proceeding week... Unfortunately for him, Lucy had heard. The following week had played host to a seriously jittery Natsu and a rather smug looking Lucy. All the men had patted his back in sympathy and had refrained from breaching the topic of sex until Natsu's punishment was over...

"Good... Now why don't you go keep watch? We don't want any monsters ambushing us," said Lucy cheerily, slapping him on the back with a little more force than necessary. Natsu hurried off looking frightened, and Levy giggled as Lucy shook her head and sighed. "He's gotten better, but he's still the childish Natsu deep down..." said Lucy, huffing as she took a seat next to Erza. The requip mage smiled at her friend.

"But that's part of the reason why you love him isn't it?" said the red haired woman. Lucy smiled and nodded.

"True..." she said. The celestial spirit mage saw Levy gnawing on her lip and she winced. "Sorry Levy... I know you're worried about Gajeel..."

"It's alright Lu... It kinda helps to joke around... It takes my mind off of things..." said the solid script mage. She sat down next to Juvia and the water mage put a comforting arm around her. Juvia had been very kind to Levy throughout the journey so far, offering her help and talking with her as they walked. The water mage was close with Gajeel and she too was worried about him.

"Juvia is sure that Gajeel is fine Levy... He's very strong... He won't be broken so easily..." she said. Levy nodded slowly and tried to force a smile.

"Yeah you're right... I have to have faith in him..." she said.

"You never know... Gajeel may even have broken out by now and he may be looking for us as well," said Lily encouragingly. The confidence he had in his friend helped to strengthen Levy's resolve and put her a little at ease. She patted the little black exceed on his head.

"I think that Lily is right!" piped in Happy. The little blue exceed had been unusually quiet over the course of the journey. Levy had a sneaking suspicion that this was due to Lucy and Erza keeping him from making his usual playful remarks... Well...most of them...

"People do crazy things when they're in looooooveeeee..." giggled Happy, winking at Levy and flying out of the reach of Erza's armored fist. Levy couldn't help but laugh at his remark.

"Whatever you say Happy..." she said. The solid script mage stared at her hands as she thought about what he had said... Did Gajeel love her? There was certainly evidence that she was his 'mate' from what Lucy had told her... But that didn't mean that the big man loved her... She felt her heart squeeze a little at that thought... What would happen when they returned to the guild? Would they talk about the dreams? How would he respond to her feelings for him?

Lucy suddenly clutched at the mark on the back of her hand and hurried over to her mate, startling the rest of them. Since they had become mates a strange connection seemed to have formed between the two mages, making them hyper sensitive to the mood and physical state of the other. Natsu growled low in his throat as he scanned the rocky area just ahead of them.

"What is is Natsu?" whispered Erza, a sword appearing in her hand as she swiftly joined the pair. Levy marveled at how silent she could be, even with armor on.

"Smells like ten people... They stink of bad magic... But nothing overly potent... Probably a few grunts sent out to stop us... Looks like our cover was blown..." said the dragonslayer quietly, moving to stand just in front of Lucy, unconsciously protecting her.

"Do you think that Gajeel somehow slipped up and let them know we were coming?" whispered Gray, his hands held ready in their casting position. Juvia shook her head before Levy could speak up.

"No... Juvia doesn't think that Gajeel would betray our intentions, even on accident," she said, standing back to back with Gray so as to watch for enemies from behind. Lily changed into his battle form and took up a postition next to Levy, guarding her. Levy bit her lip as Lily ushered her towards the middle of the group... She knew that she wasn't exactly the best at fighting, and she berated herself for not being stronger. Everyone felt as if they had to protect her, and it sometimes made her feel like a burden...

"We should be able to take them out easily enough... The problem is doing it without alerting any others in the area to our position," whispered Erza, her eyes straining to see the enemy.

Levy's mind raced. What could she do? There had to be some way that she could help her friends and be useful... Her eyes flicked wildly over their surroundings as she desperately thought of a way to help... She had been working on some new solid script spells that were a bit more complex but she wasn't sure if any of them would be good enough... The camouflage spell might have worked, but she didn't think that she could sustain it for seven people long enough...

Natsu suddenly stiffened, his hand closing over Lucy's wrist.

"Everyone stay close... Something's coming..." he hissed, eyes narrowing to slits and nostrils flaring. Gray and Juvia were now pressed tightly back to back, while Erza and Lily had formed a triangle with Levy. Happy clung to Lucy's shoulder and shivered as he kept an eye out.

A dense fog began rolling down from the hill above them, sweeping swiftly over the rocks and completely covering the ground. Levy shivered as it touched her legs. It felt cold and clammy... Like damp hands were passing over her skin...

"What is this...?" gasped Juvia. "It feels so wrong... The water making up the fog is tainted..." The water mage looked like she was going to be sick as she tried to push the fog away with her magic. It didn't seem to be working.

"Someone must have created it with magic," said Erza quietly. Natsu growled and wrinkled his nose as the fog began to rise.

"This crap is dulling my senses," he snarled, trying to get rid of the fog with a burning hand. "I'm going to try to burn it away. No use in trying to remain hidden now, they obviously know where we are. Everyone hold perfectly still, I don't want to burn you."

The group remained rigid as Natsu gathered his flames in his hand before releasing it outward in a wide circle. They could all see the strained look on his face as he concentrated on keeping the flames from touching them. Levy winced as it passed on either side of her, the flames almost hot enough to singe her skin as they passed by.

The fog cleared around them for only an instant before rolling swiftly back. It seemed as if the swirling mass was coming faster now... The earth beneath their feet shifted almost imperceptibly...

"We need to get out of here!" said Erza, the note of panic in her voice taking everyone by surprise. If Erza was panicked, something really bad was about to happen. "We need to fly out now!"

"Happy you take Lucy! I can jump!" called Natsu.

"Lily! You take Gray and Juvia! I'll carry Levy!" commanded Erza, requipping into her Black Wing armor. Levy reached out to Erza as the others took off, Happy carrying Lucy while Natsu lept up beside them, and Lily carrying both Juvia and Gray.

Her fingers were inches away from Erza's when it happened... Suddenly Levy felt her stomach lurch, and she could feel herself falling... Her ears seemed to be ringing as a piercing scream filled the hole she was now falling down, and to her horror she realized she was the one making the sound. She hit the ground hard and cried out in pain. The solid script mage struggled to her feet and clawed at the black walls around her, desperately trying to reach up to Erza.

"Levy! Try to climb up!" shouted Erza, as she saw the hole begin to close. Levy struggled to get a purchase on the damp wall around her, the rough rock tearing at her fingertips as she fought to climb upwards.

"It's too slippery!" she yelled, her mind racing as the tried to think of a way out of this. She swore as she realized that she wouldn't have time. Phantom must have planned this from the beginning... Suddenly Levy realized that if she allowed them to take her, she might be able to get to where they were keeping Gajeel. She had to be brave...like Gajeel... "Please Erza! Find Gajeel! Keep the others safe!" Levy could see the hole getting smaller and smaller.

"Levy! We can't leave you!" screamed Erza, desperately trying to keep the hole from closing.

"I'll be fine Erza! Find the others and keep going! I'll try to find a way out of Phantom's hideout from the inside and see if I can find Gajeel!" she called, trying to sound confident despite the terror filling her heart. There was only a tiny sliver of light now...

Levy blacked out as soon as the light disappeared...


End file.
